(Nov 02, 2007) In an interview on Palestinian television, Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, announced that he wants to establish an independent Palestinian state on 6,205 square kilometers (about 2,400 square miles), corresponding to about 98 % of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1976. As to the remaining 2%, he indicated his willingness to exchange it for equal land area "within the green line," meaning Israeli land. (Abbas Specifies the Area of the State, ASHARQ ALAWSAT, Oct. 11, 2007.)

The Global Legal Monitor is an online publication from the Law Library of Congress covering legal news and developments worldwide. It is updated frequently and draws on information from the Global Legal Information Network, official national legal publications, and reliable press sources. You can find previous news by searching the GLM.